Julian Walker

The period 2010–2019 was one of change and colour in Reading’s bus services. Many routes and liveries were altered, not just for Reading Buses but also other operators that ran longer-distance services into the town. There was expansion as Reading Buses took on the services of other operators in the middle of the decade and new operators appeared. Author and photographer Julian Walker traces the development of the bus network in Reading, the vehicles that were introduced and the changes to the liveries as the decade progressed. With an introduction to the history of Reading Buses prior to 2010, he looks at the ‘Premier Routes’ concept, conceived and rolled out during the previous decade to give each core route its own identity and colour. This set the scene for the ‘change and colour’ of the 2010s, as routes altered – or were acquired from other operators – and the style of the branding evolved. Each year is documented and a brief outline of events post-2019 looks at the future of Reading’s buses. This photographic survey of the bus scene in Reading during 2010–2019 will appeal to all those with an interest in the history of road transport in this area.

Conspirituality takes a deep dive into the troubling phenomenon of influencers who have curdled New Age spirituality and wellness with the politics of paranoia—peddling vaccine misinformation, tales of child trafficking, and wild conspiracy theories. In the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic, a disturbing social media trend emerged: a large number of yoga instructors and alt-health influencers were posting stories about a secretive global cabal bent on controlling the world’s population with a genocidal vaccine. Instagram feeds that had been serving up green smoothie recipes and Mary Oliver poems became firehoses of Fox News links, memes from 4chan, and prophecies of global transformation. Since May 2020, Derek Beres, Matthew Remski and Julian Walker have used their Conspirituality podcast to expose countless facets of the intersection of alt-health practitioners with far-right conspiracy trolls. Now this expansive and revelatory book unpacks the follies, frauds, cons and cults that dominate the New Age and wellness spheres and betray the trust of people who seek genuine relief in this uncertain age. With analytical rigor and irreverent humor, Conspirituality offers an antidote to our times, helping readers recognize wellness grifts, engage with loved ones who've fallen under the influence, and counter lies and distortions with insight and empathy.

'Napoo', 'compray', 'san fairy ann', 'toot sweet' are anglicized French phrases that came into use on the Western Front during the First World War as British troops struggled to communicate in French. Over four years of war they created an extraordinary slang which reflects the period and brings the conflict to mind whenever it is heard today. Julian Walker, in this original and meticulously researched book, explores the subject in fascinating detail. In the process he gives us an insight into the British soldiers' experience in France during the war and the special language they invented in order to cope with their situation. He shows how French place-names were anglicized as were words for food and drink, and he looks at what these slang terms tell us about the soldiers' perception of France, their relationship with the French and their ideas of home. He traces the spread of 'Tommy French' back to the Home Front, where it was popularized in songs and on postcards, and looks at the French reaction to the anglicization of their language.

Urban Claims and the Right to the City explores how contested processes of urban development, and the rights of city dwellers, are understood and interpreted from the perspective of women and men working, in different ways, at the grassroots in Salvador da Bahia, Brazil, and London, UK. In doing so, it represents the grounded voices of authors whose work and lives mean that they engage, on a daily basis, with issues related to housing and spatial rights, and identity struggles around race, gender, disability, sexuality, citizenship and class. This work was published by Saint Philip Street Press pursuant to a Creative Commons license permitting commercial use. All rights not granted by the work's license are retained by the author or authors.

"An illustrated analytical study, Words and the First World War considers the situation at home, at war, and under categories such as race, gender and class to give a many-sided picture of language used during the conflict." The Spectator First World War expert Julian Walker looks at how the conflict shaped English and its relationship with other languages. He considers language in relation to mediation and authenticity, as well as the limitations and potential of different kinds of verbal communication. Walker also examines: - How language changed, and why changed language was used in communications - Language used at the Front and how the 'language of the war' was commercially exploited on the Home Front - The relationship between language, soldiers and class - The idea of the ‘indescribability’ of the war and the linguistic codes used to convey the experience 'Languages of the front' became linguistic souvenirs of the war, abandoned by soldiers but taken up by academics, memoir writers and commentators, leaving an indelible mark on the words we use even today.

"An illustrated analytical study, Words and the First World War considers the situation at home, at war, and under categories such as race, gender and class to give a many-sided picture of language used during the conflict." The SpectatorFirst World War expert Julian Walker looks at how the conflict shaped English and its relationship with other languages. He considers language in relation to mediation and authenticity, as well as the limitations and potential of different kinds of verbal communication. Walker also examines:- How language changed, and why changed language was used in communications- Language used at the Front and how the 'language of the war' was commercially exploited on the Home Front- The relationship between language, soldiers and class- The idea of the ‘indescribability’ of the war and the linguistic codes used to convey the experience'Languages of the front' became linguistic souvenirs of the war, abandoned by soldiers but taken up by academics, memoir writers and commentators, leaving an indelible mark on the words we use even today.

Around 2,000 jokes, puns and poems of cringe-worthy silliness - and one piece of advice: * If at first you don't succeed ...forget skydiving. Dad jokes at their very worst - dive in, cringe and, above all, be amused. But if you have wondered about these questions: * What would happen if there were no hypothetical situations? * Why didn't Tarzan have a beard? * Why do fridges have a light but freezers don't? * Do you get repossessed if you don't pay an exorcist? Then this book isn't for you as it doesn't have any answers.

In 1987, seven people embarked on a three month charity expedition to drive an old red Dennis fire engine from the northern tip of Europe to the southernmost point of Africa. After almost five months, 37,000km, 21 countries, and a journey through rainforest, bush veldt, deserts and urban developments, the author was one of five who completed their odyssey. The Cape Crusaders is his engaging account of the at times hazardous trip, including being mugged, arrested, having two near fatal accidents and a severe case of cerebral malaria. A must for any armchair adventure traveller.

The First World War largely directed the course of the twentieth century. Fought on three continents, the war saw 14 million killed and 34 million wounded. Its impact shaped the world we live in today, and the language of the trenches continues to live in the modern consciousness. One of the enduring myths of the First World War is that the experience of the trenches was not talked about. Yet dozens of words entered or became familiar in the English language as a direct result of the soldiers’ experiences. This book looks at how the experience of the First World War changed the English language, adding words that were both in slang and standard military use, and modifying the usage and connotations of existing words and phrases. Illustrated with material from the authors’ collections and photographs of the objects of the war, the book will look at how the words emerged into everyday language.